Presidents at the Roosevelt

When you stay at The Roosevelt, you stay in the same rooms shared by legendary figures of the past. With Presidents’ Day on the horizon, The Roosevelt would like to honor some of its more distinguished guests who helped shape the country we know today.

Although Teddy Roosevelt, the hotel’s namesake, passed away five years before the hotel officially opened, his ghost has visited the hotel many times. Frequently arriving with a spectral entourage of rough riders, the 26th president is known to wander the halls and greet guests, thanking them for staying at “his” hotel.

During his time in office, 31st president Herbert Hoover spent a little over a month at The Roosevelt, during which time he completed work on his finest invention, the Hoover vacuum cleaner. Originally equipped with a gas-powered engine, this piece of machinery was developed in order to assist hotel personnel in their cleaning duties by allowing them to clean the hotel’s immense amount of carpeting more quickly and efficiently.

Following up his wartime fame, 34th president Dwight D. Eisenhower brought with him to the hotel one of its most unusual guests. Eisenhower’s pet duck Marbles was known to travel with him everywhere and when he visited the hotel, it was expressly requested that Marbles be given not only his own room, but one of The Roosevelt’s 52 luxurious suites all to himself. During their entire stay, Marbles’ room displayed the “Do Not Disturb” sign and, when the president left, Roosevelt staff were surprised to find the room clean and practically untouched save for a lone feather left on the pillow of the duck’s bed. This feather is now displayed prominently in the main lobby.

A lot of history has taken place at The Roosevelt since its opening in 1924. And while every story you hear may not be completely true, this Presidents’ Day enjoy a trip to New York and a stay at The Roosevelt to discover the truth and history behind this majestic hotel.